Semiconductor structure and etch technique for monolithic integration of III-N transistors

ABSTRACT

Semiconductor structures are disclosed for monolithically integrating multiple III-N transistors with different threshold voltages on a common substrate. A semiconductor structure includes a cap layer comprising a plurality of selectively etchable sublayers, wherein each sublayer is selectively etchable with respect to the sublayer immediately below, wherein each sublayer comprises a material Al x In y Ga z N (0≦x, y, z≦1), and wherein at least one selectively etchable sublayer has a non-zero Ga content (0&lt;z≦1). A gate recess is disposed in a number of adjacent sublayers of the cap layer to achieve a desired threshold voltage for a transistor. Also described are methods for fabricating such semiconductor structures, where gate recesses and/or ohmic recesses are formed by selectively removing adjacent sublayers of the cap layer. The performance of the resulting integrated circuits is improved, while providing design flexibility to reduce production cost and circuit footprint.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional of and claims the benefit ofpriority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/146,055, filed onApr. 10, 2015, entitled “III-Nitride Integration Technology,” thedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entiretyherein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Described herein are semiconductor structures, and processes for formingsemiconductor structures. Etching techniques are described for formingrecesses in a semiconductor structure, such as gate recesses and/orohmic recesses, for monolithic integration of III-Nitride transistors ona common substrate. Such structures and techniques can be used toproduce high performance transistors for various uses such as in powerelectronics, power amplification and digital electronics.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The statements in this section may serve as a background to helpunderstand the invention and its application and uses, but may notconstitute prior art.

Compared with conventional power devices made of silicon, GroupIII-Nitride (III-N) semiconductors possess a number of excellentelectronic properties that enable the fabrication of modern powerelectronic devices and structures for use in a variety of applications.Silicon's limited critical electric field and relatively high resistancemake currently available commercial power devices, circuits, and systemsbulky, heavy, with further constraints on operating frequencies. On theother hand, higher critical electric field and higher electron densityand mobility of III-N materials allow high-current, high-voltage,high-power and/or high-frequency performances of improved powertransistors that are greatly desirable for advanced transportationsystems, high-efficiency electricity generation and conversion systems,and energy delivery networks. Such systems rely on efficient convertersto step-up or step-down electric voltages, and use power transistorscapable of blocking large voltages and/or carrying large currents. Forexample, power transistors with blocking voltages of more than 500V areused in hybrid vehicles to convert DC power from the batteries to ACpower. Some other exemplary applications of power transistors includepower supplies, automotive electronics, automated factory equipment,motor controls, traction motor drives, high voltage direct current(HVDC) electronics, lamp ballasts, telecommunication circuits anddisplay drives.

In spite of the enormous potential of III-N semiconductor devices forproducing high-efficiency power electronics such as power amplifiers andconverters, silicon-based control circuits are still necessary forintegrated circuit design for power electronic devices. To enhance theutility of III-N devices, there is a critical need for monolithicintegration of III-N transistors with different threshold voltages,especially enhancement-mode (E-mode) and depletion mode (D-mode)transistors. For example, an integrated E/D mode GaN logic circuit mayreplace a separate, conventional, silicon logic chip. Such monolithicintegration of III-N transistors with different threshold voltages mayallow the addition of digital or control functions to analog andmix-signal components on a common substrate, thus improving theperformance of the resulting integrated circuits, while also providingdesign flexibility to reduce production cost and circuit foot-print.Accurate and flexible control of threshold voltages for different III-Ntransistors on a common substrate is also highly desirable. To achievethese implementation and integration objectives, careful technologicaldevelopments are needed to determine optimal semiconductor materialcompositions, device structures, and fabrication processes.

For example, an important technology for use in fabricating normally-offE-mode field effect transistors for power switching applications is gaterecess. Chlorine-based dry plasma etching is typically used to form gaterecesses in AlGaN/GaN devices, as both GaN and AlGaN are very inert towet chemical etchants. However, dry plasma etching is prone toplasma-induced damage and etch-based process variations. Plasma damagecreates a high density of defect states and degrades channel mobility inthe recessed region. Variations in the plasma etch rate make itdifficult to control recess depth precisely by timed etching, whichcauses a variation in transistor parameters such as the transconductanceand threshold voltage. Etching rates can further vary for differenttransistor gate lengths and/or aspect ratios. Thus, dry plasmaetching-based gate recess techniques are insufficient for theintegration of different types of transistors with different targetthreshold voltages on the same substrate.

Therefore, in view of the aforementioned practicalities anddifficulties, there is an unsolved need to monolithically integrateIII-N transistors with different threshold voltages on a commonsubstrate. It is against this background that various embodiments of thepresent invention were developed.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides semiconductor structures and methods forfabricating III-nitride transistors with different threshold voltages ona common substrate.

In one aspect, one embodiment of the present invention is asemiconductor structure for integrating III-Nitride (III-N) transistorswith different threshold voltages, comprising a common substrate, abuffer layer disposed on the common substrate, a channel layer disposedon the buffer layer, a band-offset layer disposed on the channel layer,and a cap layer comprising a plurality of selectively etchablesublayers. Each of the buffer layer, the channel layer, and theband-offset layer comprises a III-N material. Each sublayer of the caplayer is selectively etchable with respect to the sublayer immediatelybelow, wherein each sublayer comprises a III-N materialAl_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N (0≦x, y, z≦1), and wherein at least one of theplurality of selectively etchable sublayers has a non-zero Ga content(0<z≦1). The semiconductor structure further comprises transistorstructures including a first transistor with a first threshold voltageV_(T1), comprising a first gate region and a first pair of ohmiccontacts disposed outside the first gate region, wherein the first gateregion comprises a first gate recess disposed in a first number ofadjacent sublayers of the cap layer, and a second transistor with asecond threshold voltage V_(T2), comprising a second gate region and asecond pair of ohmic contacts disposed outside the second gate region.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the gate region of thefirst transistor further comprises a gate dielectric disposed over thefirst gate recess. In some embodiments, the gate region of the secondtransistor also comprises a second gate recess disposed in a secondnumber of adjacent sublayers of the cap layer, wherein the second numberof sublayers is different from the first number of sublayers. In someembodiments, the second gate region further comprises a second gatedielectric disposed over the second gate recess.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the semiconductorstructure further comprises a first pair of ohmic recesses, wherein thefirst pair of ohmic contacts are disposed over and cover the first pairof ohmic recesses, and wherein the bottoms of the first pair of ohmicrecesses are on a layer selected from the group consisting the channellayer, the band-offset layer, and a sublayer of the cap layer. In someembodiments, the semiconductor structure further comprises a second pairof ohmic recesses, wherein the second pair of ohmic contacts aredisposed over and cover the second pair of ohmic recesses, and whereinthe bottoms of the second pair of ohmic recesses are on a layer selectedfrom the group consisting the channel layer, the band-offset layer, anda sublayer of the cap layer.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the semiconductorstructure further comprises a spacer layer disposed on the band-offsetlayer, wherein the space layer comprises a III-N material, and whereinthe thickness of the spacer layer is less than or equal to 20 nm.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the first transistor isenhancement-mode, with the first threshold voltage V_(T1)>0, the secondtransistor is depletion-mode, with the second threshold voltageV_(T2)<0. In some embodiments, at least one of the plurality ofselectively etchable sublayers has an Al content greater than 50%(0.5<x≦1). In some embodiments, adjacent sublayers of the cap layer haveAl contents alternating between less than 50% (0≦x<0.5) and greater than50% (0.5<x≦1). In some embodiments, materials for adjacent sublayers ofthe cap layer alternate between GaN and AlN. In yet other embodiments,the III-N materials for the layers and/or sublayers are selected fromthe group consisting of GaN, AlN, AlGaN, InAlN, and AlInGaN. In someembodiments, a subset of the plurality of the sublayers of the cap layeris doped. The spacer layer may be doped or partially doped as well.

In another aspect, one embodiment of the present invention is a methodfor integrating III-N transistors with different threshold voltages,comprising the steps of patterning a III-N semiconductor structure toexpose a gate region of a first transistor with a first thresholdvoltage V_(T1), selectively recessing the gate region of the firsttransistor by removing a first number of adjacent sublayers of the caplayer, patterning the III-N semiconductor structure to expose a gateregion of a second transistor with a second threshold voltage V_(T2),forming gate electrodes for both the first and the second transistors,and forming ohmic contacts for both the first and the secondtransistors. The III-N semiconductor structure comprises a commonsubstrate, a buffer layer disposed on the substrate, a channel layerdisposed on the buffer layer, a band-offset layer disposed on thechannel layer, and a cap layer comprising a plurality of selectivelyetchable sublayers. Each of the buffer layer, the channel layer, and theband-offset layer comprises a III-N material. Each sublayer of the caplayer is selectively etchable with respect to the sublayer immediatelybelow, wherein each sublayer comprises a III-N materialAl_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N (0≦x, y, z≦1), wherein at least one of the pluralityof selectively etchable sublayers has a non-zero Ga content (0<z≦1).

In some embodiments of the present invention, the method furthercomprises disposing gate dielectrics over the gate region of the firsttransistor and the gate region of the second transistor. In someembodiments, the method further comprises selectively recessing the gateregion of the second transistor by removing a second number of adjacentsublayers of the cap layer, wherein the second number of sublayers isdifferent from the first number of sublayers. In some embodiments, themethod further comprises forming a first pair of ohmic recesses, whereinthe first pair of ohmic contacts are disposed over and cover the firstpair of ohmic recesses, and wherein the bottoms of the first pair ofohmic recesses are on a layer selected from the group consisting thechannel layer, the band-offset layer, and a sublayer of the cap layer.In some embodiments, the first transistor is enhancement-mode, with thefirst threshold voltage V_(T1)>0, and wherein the second transistor isdepletion-mode, with the second threshold voltage V_(T2)<0. In someembodiments, adjacent sublayers of the cap layer have Al contentsalternating between less than 50% (0≦x<0.5) and greater than 50%(0.5<x≦1).

Yet other aspects of the present invention include the semiconductorstructures, processes and methods comprising the steps described herein,and also include the processes and modes of operation of the devicesdescribed herein. Other aspects and embodiments of the present inventionwill become apparent from the detailed description of the invention whenread in conjunction with the attached drawings.

The foregoing summary is provided by way of illustration and is notintended to be limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention described herein are exemplary, andnot restrictive. Embodiments will now be described, by way of examples,with reference to the accompanying drawings. In these drawings, eachidentical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in variousfigures is represented by a like reference character. For purposes ofclarity, not every component is labeled in every drawing. The drawingsare not necessarily drawn to scale, with emphasis instead being placedon illustrating various aspects of the techniques and devices describedherein.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D show a semiconductor structure with a duallayer barrier structure and an etching process for forming a recess inthe semiconductor structure, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D show a semiconductor structure with a carrierdonor layer and an etching process for forming a recess in thesemiconductor structure, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D show a semiconductor structure with a bandoffset layer and an etching process for forming a recess in thesemiconductor structure, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 shows a semiconductor structure with a plurality of dual layerbarrier structures, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 shows the structure of an exemplary transistor, according to oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A shows a semiconductor structure with a cap layer comprisingmultiple selectively etchable sublayers, according to one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 6B shows a semiconductor structure with a spacer layer, accordingto one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary structure with a recessed-gate transistor anda planar-gate transistor, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary structure with two recessed-gate transistors,according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary structure containing two recessed-gatetransistors, with doped sublayers, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 10 shows an exemplary structure containing two recessed-gatetransistors with recessed ohmic contacts, according to one embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 11 shows a process for forming a recess on a semiconductorsstructure, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 shows a process for forming a structure containing two types ofrecessed-gate transistors, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 13 shows an illustrative fabricated device with both D-mode andE-mode transistors, and corresponding I_(D)-V_(GS) characteristics,according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 shows a plot of I_(D)-V_(GS) characteristics for integratedD-mode and E-mode transistors, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 15 shows plots of I_(D)-V_(DS) characteristics for integratedD-mode and E-mode transistors, according to one embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to oneskilled in the art that the invention can be practiced without thesespecific details. In other instances, structures, devices, activities,and methods are shown using schematics, use cases, and/or flow diagramsin order to avoid obscuring the invention. Although the followingdescription contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration,anyone skilled in the art will appreciate that many variations and/oralterations to suggested details are within the scope of the presentinvention. Similarly, although many of the features of the presentinvention are described in terms of each other, or in conjunction witheach other, one skilled in the art will appreciate that many of thesefeatures can be provided independently of other features. Accordingly,this description of the invention is set forth without any loss ofgenerality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the invention.

Broadly, embodiments of the present invention relate to multi-layersemiconductor structures and methods for fabricating such structures,with one or more gate recesses to facilitate the monolithic integrationof Group III-Nitride (III-N) transistors having different thresholdvoltages. The threshold voltage of a transistor is a gate voltage pastwhich the transistor is turned from an on-state to an off-state, or viceversa. Such multi-layer semiconductor structures utilize selectivelyetchable layers or sublayers disposed over a common substrate, whereselective etchability enables gate recesses and/or ohmic recesses to beformed with controllable depths, leading to desired or targetedthreshold voltages. Monolithic integration of different types oftransistors, especially E-mode and D-mode transistors, may greatlyenhance the utility of such devices, by allowing the further addition ofdigital or control functions to analog and mix-signal components on acommon substrate, thus improving the performance of the resultingintegrated circuits, while also providing design flexibility to reduceproduction cost and circuit foot-print.

Gate recess is an important technology for certain types of transistors,including nitride semiconductor-based transistors such as AlGaN/GaNhigh-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs). In radio frequency AlGaN/GaNHEMTs, gate recess has been used to reduce short channel effects and toimprove the current gain cut-off frequency. In power switchingapplications, gate recess has been used to fabricate normally-off fieldeffect transistors, such as AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. Since both GaN and AlGaNare very inert to wet chemical etchants, chlorine-based dry plasmaetching is typically used to form gate recesses in AlGaN/GaN devices.There are, however, two major drawbacks to dry plasma etching: 1) it maycause plasma damage, creating a high density of defect states anddegrading the channel mobility in the recessed region; and 2) due tovariations in the plasma etch rate, it may be difficult to control therecess depth precisely by timed etching, which causes a variation intransistor parameters such as the transconductance (g_(m)) and thresholdvoltage (V_(T)). Control of device variations becomes even morechallenging when devices with different gate lengths are subjected tothe same gate recess etching process, as the etching rates can bedifferent for different transistor gate lengths and/or aspect ratios.

Described herein are semiconductor structures and processes for formingsuch semiconductor structures while reducing or eliminatingplasma-induced damage and etch-based process variations. A recessetching fabrication technology is described which can precisely controlthe etching depth and produce an extremely low defect density on therecessed surface. In some embodiments, the semiconductor structuresdescribed herein may be formed of compound semiconductor material(s),such as III-V semiconductor material(s), particularly Group III-Nitride(III-N) semiconductor material(s). Using such techniques, highperformance transistors can be fabricated, such as RF III-N and/ornormally-off III-N power transistors, for example.

Further described herein are multi-layer semiconductor structures thatenable the integration of multiple transistors with different thresholdvoltages on a common substrate, and processes for forming suchsemiconductor structures. While providing precise control overindividual etching depths and producing extremely low defect densitieson recessed surfaces, the multi-layer semiconductor structure and recessetching fabrication technology as described herein further enableflexible, side-by-side integration of multiple transistor devices withdifferent gate recess depths and/or ohmic recess depths, leading todifferent threshold voltages.

The techniques described herein can exploit etching selectivity betweendifferent semiconductor materials such as different III-N semiconductormaterials. For example, GaN can be selectively etched over materialssuch as AlN, AlGaN, InAlN and AlInGaN with high Al content using a dryetching technique. In some embodiments, a selective dry etching stepfollowed by a wet etching step can be used to achieve precise control ofrecess depth and to produce a surface with a low density of defectstates. The wet etching step, if performed, may be selective ornon-selective. If the wet etching step is selective, AlN AlGaN, InAlNand AlInGaN with high Al content can be selectively etched overmaterials such as GaN, AlGaN, InGaN, and AlInGaN with low Al contentusing a wet etching technique. However, the techniques described hereinare not limited as to a wet etching step.

With reference to the figures, embodiments of the present invention arenow described in detail.

FIG. 1A shows a semiconductor structure 1 on which an etching techniqueas described herein may be performed. Semiconductor structure 1 mayinclude a substrate 2, a buffer layer 4, a channel layer 6, and abarrier layer 8. Barrier layer 8 includes an upper barrier layer 10 anda lower barrier layer 12. In some embodiments, upper barrier layer 10 isformed of a material that is etchable by a first etching technique, suchas dry etching, and lower barrier layer 12 is formed of a material thatis etchable by a second etching technique, such as wet etching. In thisembodiment, lower barrier layer 12 is substantially not etched by thefirst etching technique used to etch upper barrier layer 10, thusforming an etch-stop. Examples of materials that may form thesemiconductor structure 1 will now be described.

In some embodiments, a semiconductor material with a lattice constantdifferent from that of substrate 2 may be formed over substrate 2. Insome embodiments, a buffer layer 4 may be included between substrate 2and the overlying semiconductor material to accommodate a difference inlattice constant. Substrate 2 may include a group IV, III-V, or II-VIsemiconductor material such as silicon, germanium, or ZnO for example.Other typical substrates include SiC, Sapphire, Si, and bulk GaN. Thesemiconductor material formed over substrate 2 may include a compoundsemiconductor material, such as a III-V semiconductor material (e.g., aIII-N material). Suitable techniques for accommodating a latticemismatch between substrate 2 and a semiconductor material of differentlattice constant using a buffer layer 4 are understood by those ofordinary skill in the art, and will not be detailed herein. In someembodiments, a substrate 2 having a suitable lattice constant for theformation of overlying compound semiconductor material(s) may be used,and buffer layer 4 may be omitted. For example, substrate 2 may be a GaNsubstrate, a ZnO substrate or another substrate of a material with alattice constant similar to that of a compound semiconductor material tobe formed thereon. The techniques described herein are not limited as tosubstrate 2 or buffer layer 4. In addition, although not shownexplicitly in FIG. 1A, in some embodiments, a nucleation layer isdisposed between substrate 2 and buffer layer 4; in some otherembodiments, buffer layer 4 includes the nucleation layer or anucleation region at the interface with substrate 2.

Substrate 2 and the layers of semiconductor materials formed thereon maybe monocrystalline, and may have any suitable crystallographicorientation. Compound semiconductor materials, if included in substrate2 or an overlying layer, may have any suitable composition at the faceof the semiconductor material. If a III-N material is included, it mayhave an N-face composition or a group III face composition. For example,GaN may be grown either N-face and Ga-face or in non-polar orientations.

Channel layer 6 may be formed of a semiconductor material suitable forformation of a channel therein. In some embodiments, channel layer 6 mayinclude a III-V semiconductor material, such as a III-N semiconductormaterial. In some embodiments, channel layer 6 may include galliumnitride (GaN). In some embodiments, a nitride semiconductor material maybe used such as B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N, for example, in which w, x, yand z each has a suitable value between zero and one (inclusive), andw+x+y+z=1.

In some embodiments, a semiconductor heterostructure may be formed inthe semiconductor structure 1. For example, in some embodiments abarrier layer 8 comprising B_(w1)Al_(x1)In_(y1)Ga_(z1)N and a channellayer 6 comprising B_(w2)Al_(x2)In_(y2)Ga_(z2)N may be formed, where asemiconductor material of barrier layer 8 has a larger bandgap and/orpolarization than that of channel layer 6. However, the techniquesdescribed herein are not limited as to the formation ofheterostructures.

As implicitly implied above, in some embodiments, each layer formed oversubstrate 2, including buffer layer 4, channel layer 6, and barrierlayer 8 may comprise more than one materials, including III-N materials.For example, buffer layer 4 may comprise an AlN/GaN superlattice. Insome embodiments, a portion or one or more regions of buffer layer 4 orchannel 6 may be GaN. Such regions may be located at layer interfaces,or at positions particularly defined with respect to desired gate orohmic contact regions. For example, the nucleation layer as describedbefore may be included as part of buffer layer 4 at the interface withsubstrate 2. In yet some other embodiments, one or more layers formedover substrate 2 may be doped with a suitable dopant.

As discussed above, in some embodiments, a barrier layer 8 may be formedhaving two or more layers or sublayers. For example, barrier layer 8 mayinclude a “dual-layer” barrier structure having an upper barrier layer10 of a first semiconductor material that is etchable using a firstetching technique and a lower barrier layer 12 of a second semiconductormaterial that is etchable using a second etching technique. In someembodiments, upper barrier layer 10 may include a semiconductor materialthat is selectively etchable in a dry etching process, such as GaN, forexample, or another nitride semiconductor material such asB_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N, for example, in which w, x, y and z each has asuitable value between zero and one (inclusive), and w+x+y+z=1, and thecomposition is such that the nitride semiconductor material isselectively etchable using a dry etching process. For example, upperbarrier layer 10 may include a semiconductor material such asB_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N in which x is less than 0.25.

Upper barrier layer 10 may be doped or undoped. Doping of upper barrierlayer 10 may supply carriers to channel layer 6 underneath. After gaterecessing, one or more doped regions may be formed between the gate andthe source and/or between the gate and the drain, outside of thegate-recess. A doped region may be polarization doped or may includedopants such as n-type dopants or p-type dopants. A doped region mayhave any suitable doping concentration and distribution. For example,dopants may be provided at the lower surface of upper barrier layer 10,the upper surface of upper barrier layer 10, and/or in another location.The doping profile can be uniform or non-uniform. In some embodiments, adelta-doping profile may be used. If upper barrier layer 10 is doped,any suitable doping technique may be used, such as implantation ordiffusion. In some embodiments, upper barrier layer 10 may be dopedduring its formation (e.g., growth). In some embodiments, the dopingtype of upper barrier layer 10 may be of the same type as that ofcarriers in the channel region. For example, the doping type in upperbarrier layer 10 may be n-type for an n-channel transistor and p-typefor a p-channel transistor. In some embodiments, the doped region may behighly doped.

Lower barrier layer 12 may include a semiconductor material that isetchable using a wet etching technique, such as aluminum nitride (AlN),for example, or another material such as B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N, forexample, in which w, x, y and z each has a suitable value between zeroand one (inclusive), and w+x+y+z=1, and the composition is such that thenitride semiconductor material is etchable using a wet etching process.For example, lower barrier layer 12 may include a semiconductor materialsuch as B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N in which x is greater than 0.5.Furthermore, lower barrier layer 12 may be doped using any suitabledoping technique such as those discussed above with respect to theoptional doping of upper barrier layer 10.

The reference herein to B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N or a“B_(w)Al_(y)In_(y)Ga_(z)N material” refers to a semiconductor materialhaving nitride and one or more of boron, aluminum, indium and gallium.Examples of B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N materials include GaN, AlN, AlGaN,AlInGaN, InGaN, and BAlInGaN, by way of illustration. AB_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N material may include other materials besidesnitride, boron, aluminum, indium and/or gallium. For example, aB_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N material may be doped with a suitable dopantsuch as silicon and germanium.

A process of forming a transistor in the semiconductor structure 1 ofFIG. 1A using two separate etching steps will be described with respectto FIGS. 1B-1D.

As shown in FIG. 1B, a first etching step may be performed using a firstetching technique to remove a portion of upper barrier layer 10. Asuitable masking process may be used to define the region to be etched.The etching technique used in the first etching step may selectivelyetch the material of upper barrier layer 10 with respect to the materialof lower barrier layer 12. The selectivity of the etch process used inthe first etching step may be greater than one, such that upper barrierlayer 10 is etched at a faster rate than lower barrier layer 12. In someembodiments, the selectivity of the etch process used in the firstetching step may be greater than 3:1, such that upper barrier layer 10is etched at a rate greater than three times as high as the rate atwhich lower barrier layer 12 is etched.

As discussed above, the first etching technique may include a dryetching technique (e.g., dry plasma etching, also referred-to asreactive ion etching (RIE)). If the upper barrier layer includes GaN, afluorine-based etching process may be used, for example. FIG. 1B showssemiconductor structure 1 following the removal of a region of upperbarrier layer 10 using a dry etching process. Lower barrier layer 12 mayserve as an etch stop to stop the dry etching process at its uppersurface. The dry etching process may damage the upper surface of lowerbarrier layer 12, creating a damaged region 14. However, in someembodiments, the dry etching process may not produce any significantdamage. In some embodiments, a damaged region 14 of barrier layer 12 maybe oxidized prior to removal of damaged region 14 in a second etchingstep.

As shown in FIG. 1C, a second etching step may be performed using asecond etching technique to remove a portion of lower barrier layer 12.However, the second etching step is optional, and is not required beperformed.

If the second etching step is performed, a portion of lower barrier 12may be removed in a window formed by the removal of a region of upperbarrier layer 10 in the first etching step. In some embodiments, theetch process used in the second etching step may selectively etch lowerbarrier layer 12 with respect to a layer overlying lower barrier layer12 and which may be in contact with lower barrier layer 12, such asupper barrier layer 10, for example. In some embodiments, the etchprocess used in the second etching step may selectively etch lowerbarrier layer 12 with respect to a layer below lower barrier layer 12which may be in contact with lower barrier layer 12, such as channellayer 6 and/or a band offset layer. The selectivity of the etching oflower barrier layer 12 with respect to upper barrier layer 10 and/orchannel layer 6 may be greater than one, such that the rate of etchingof lower barrier layer 12 is greater than that of upper barrier layer 10and/or channel layer 6. In some embodiments, the selectivity may begreater than 3:1, such that lower barrier layer 12 is etched at a rategreater than three times as high as upper barrier layer 10 and/orchannel layer 6. However, the second etching step is not required to beselective, and in some embodiments may not selectively etch lowerbarrier layer 12 with respect to upper barrier layer 10 or channel layer6.

As discussed above, the etching technique used in the second etchingstep may be a wet etching technique. FIG. 1C shows the semiconductorstructure 1 following the removal of a region of lower barrier layer 12using a wet etching process. The wet etching process may remove damagedregion 14, and may enable forming a gate recess 16 without a damagedregion at its lower surface. The wet etching process may remove theentire thickness of lower barrier layer 12, as shown in FIG. 1C, or aportion of the thickness of lower barrier layer 12. In some embodiments,the use of a wet etching process to etch lower barrier layer 12 mayprovide fine control over the depth of gate recess 16 and reduce oreliminate process-induced variations in transistor characteristics suchas threshold voltages.

As shown in FIG. 1D, a gate dielectric 18 and a gate 20 may be formed ingate recess 16. Any suitable material may be used for gate dielectric 18and gate 20. Gate dielectric 18 may be formed of any suitable insulator.Gate 20 may be formed of any suitable conductor or semiconductor, suchas a metal or polysilicon. Source and drain regions S and D can also beformed, as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. The sourceand/or drain regions S and D may be formed of a suitable conductor orsemiconductor, such as a metal and/or a doped semiconductor region. Thesource and/or drain regions S and D may have ohmic contacts.

In some embodiments, upper barrier layer 10 may be selectively etchedover lower barrier layer 12 in the source and/or drain region(s). Lowerbarrier layer 12 may be wet etched in the source and/or drain regions(s)so that an ohmic metallization can be formed on the remaining barrierlayer in the source and/or drain regions(s). The dry and/or wet etchingof upper barrier layer 10 and/or lower barrier layer 12, respectively,to form the source and/or drain region(s) may be performed in the sameetching process(es) used to form the gate recess, in some embodiments,or in a different process.

In some embodiments, the portion of barrier layer 8 remaining after theformation of gate recess 16 may have a thickness smaller than a criticalthickness to prevent the formation of a two dimensional electron gas(2DEG) under the gate (see FIG. 5, for example), thereby forming anormally-off transistor. However, as shall be discussed with respect toFIGS. 7-10, the techniques described herein are not limited to theformation of normally-off transistors, and may be used to form otherdevices, such as normally-on transistors.

The operation of normally-on and normally-off transistors is summarizedas follows. When a normally-off, or Enhancement mode (E-mode) transistorhas no voltage applied to the gate, the transistor is in the off-stateand is substantially non-conducting. When a suitable voltage is appliedto the gate, a normally-off transistor is in the on-state and carrierscan flow between its main conduction terminals (e.g., source and drain).The threshold voltage of a transistor is a gate voltage past which thetransistor is turned from an on-state to an off-state, or vice versa.The threshold voltage V_(T) of a normally-off (E-mode) transistor isgenerally positive. When a normally-on, or Depletion mode (D-mode)transistor has no voltage applied to the gate, the transistor is in theon-state and carriers can flow between its main conduction terminals(e.g., source and drain). When a normally-on transistor has a suitablevoltage applied to the gate, the normally-on transistor is in theoff-state and is substantially non-conducting. The threshold voltageV_(T) of a normally-on (D-mode) transistor is generally negative.

In some embodiments, carriers may be supplied to channel layer 6 by alayer different from upper barrier layer 10 or lower barrier layer 12.FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate an embodiment in which a dedicated carrier donorlayer 22 is included in the semiconductor structure. In the embodimentshown in FIGS. 2A-2D, carrier donor layer 22 is formed over upperbarrier layer 10. However, the techniques described herein are notlimited in this respect, as carrier donor layer 22 may be formed belowupper barrier layer 10 or in another location. In some embodiments,carrier donor layer 22 may be formed of the same material as that ofupper barrier layer 10.

Carrier donor layer 22 may supply carriers to channel layer 6. Aftergate recessing, which removes a portion of carrier donor layer 22 aswell, the remaining portion of carrier donor layer 22 may supplycarriers to channel layer 6 approximately outside of the region underthe gate. Carrier donor layer 22, if included in the semiconductorstack, may be doped using any suitable doping technique such as thosediscussed above with respect to the optional doping of upper barrierlayer 10. After gate recessing, one or more doped regions may be formedin carrier donor layer 22 between the gate and the source and/or betweenthe gate and the drain, outside of the gate-recess. A doped region maybe polarization doped or may include dopants such as n-type dopants orp-type dopants. A doped region may have any suitable dopingconcentration and distribution. For example, dopants may be provided atthe lower surface of carrier donor layer 22, the upper surface ofcarrier donor layer 22, and/or in another location. The doping profilecan be uniform or non-uniform. In some embodiments, a delta-dopingprofile may be used. Any suitable doping technique may be used, such asimplantation or diffusion, for example. In some embodiments, carrierdonor layer 22 may be doped during its formation or growth. In someembodiments, the doping type of carrier donor layer 22 may be of thesame type as that of carriers in the channel region. For example, thedoping type in carrier donor layer 22 may be n-type for an n-channeltransistor and p-type for a p-channel transistor. In some embodiments, adoped region may be highly doped. If a carrier donor layer 22 isincluded, in some embodiments, upper barrier layer 10 and/or lowerbarrier layer 12 may not be doped.

In some embodiments, carrier donor layer 22 may be formed of asemiconductor material that is etchable by a dry etching process.Carrier donor layer 22 may include a compound semiconductor such as aIII-V semiconductor material, e.g., a III-N semiconductor material, suchas B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N, for example, in which w, x, y and z eachhas a suitable value between zero and one (inclusive), and w+x+y+z=1,and the composition is such that the III-N semiconductor material isetchable using a dry etching process. As shown in FIGS. 2A-2D, a barrierlayer 28 may include a carrier donor layer 22, an upper barrier layer 10and a lower barrier layer 12.

In some embodiments, carrier donor layer 22 may shape the electric fieldin the semiconductor structure (e.g., in the channel region). The dopingdensity may be tuned as needed to shape the electric field. In someembodiments, carrier donor layer 22 may be used as a passivation layer.Carrier donor layer 22 may have any suitable thickness. In someembodiments, the thickness of carrier donor layer 22 may be greater than5 nm.

As shown in FIG. 2B, a first etching process, such as a dry etchingprocess, may be used to etch away regions of carrier donor layer 22 andupper barrier layer 10. A region of the lower barrier layer 12 may beremoved using a wet etching process, as illustrated in FIG. 2C. A gatedielectric 18 and gate 20 may be formed in the gate recess, asillustrated in FIG. 2D. Source and drain regions S and D of thetransistor may be formed as well.

In some embodiments, a semiconductor structure may include a band offsetlayer 32 between channel layer 6 and lower barrier layer 12. Band offsetlayer 32 may increase the band offset between a barrier layer 38 andchannel layer 6. As shown in FIGS. 3A-3D, barrier layer 38 may includean upper barrier layer 10, a lower barrier layer 12 and a band offsetlayer 32.

As shown in FIG. 3B, a first etching process, such as a dry etchingprocess, may be used to etch away a region of upper barrier layer 10. Aregion of lower barrier layer 12 may then be removed using a wet etchingprocess, as illustrated in FIG. 3C. In some embodiments, band offsetlayer 32 may be very thin, with a thickness below a critical thicknessso as to produce a normally-off transistor when a gate is formed overband offset layer 32. In some embodiments, band offset layer 32 may bethicker than the critical thickness. When band offset layer 32 isthicker than the critical thickness, a normally-off transistor may beproduced by removing at least a portion of band offset layer 32 usingthe wet etching process such that the remaining portion has a thicknessbelow the critical thickness. A gate dielectric 18 and gate 20 may beformed in the gate recess, as illustrated in FIG. 3D. Source and drainregions S and D of the transistor may be formed. Optionally, anembodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3D may include a carrier donorlayer 22 (not shown in FIGS. 3A-3D).

In some embodiments, a semiconductor structure may include a pluralityof “dual-layer” barrier structures. Any suitable number of “dual-layer”barrier structures may be included. For example, as illustrated in FIG.4, a semiconductor structure 40 may include a first dual-layer barrierstructure 8 a and a second dual-layer barrier structure 8 b, each havingan upper barrier layer 10 and a lower barrier layer 12. The upper andlower barrier layers are indicated in FIG. 4 as 10 a and 12 a,respectively, for dual-layer barrier structure 8 a, and indicated as 10b and 12 b, respectively, for dual-layer barrier structure 8 b.Dual-layer barrier structures 8 a and 8 b may have the same structureand/or composition, or a different structure and/or composition. To forma recess such as a gate recess, a first etching process (e.g., a dryetching process) may be performed to remove a region of layer 10 a, thena second etching process (e.g., a wet etching process) may be performedto remove a region of layer 12 a. Then, the first etching process (e.g.,a dry etching process) may be performed to remove a region of layer 10b, and the second etching process (e.g., a wet etching process) may beperformed to remove a region of layer 12 b. A gate dielectric 18 andgate 20 may be formed in the gate recess, as discussed above. Source anddrain regions S and D of the transistor may be formed as well. A bandoffset layer 32 and/or a carrier donor layer 22 may be included in thesemiconductor structure 40. However, the techniques described herein arenot limited in this respect, as a band offset layer 32 and carrier donorlayer 22 are optional.

Descriptions as provided above are techniques for forming a recess thatmay be applied to form a gate recess of a transistor. Such techniquesmay be applied to any suitable type of transistors, including any typeof field effect transistors such as MISFETs (Metal-InsulatorSemiconductor Field Effect Transistors), and MESFETs(Metal-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors).

The techniques described herein are not limited to techniques forforming a gate-recess. Such techniques may be used any other applicationwhere a damage-free, uniform and/or reproducible etch is desired. Oneexample is the formation of ohmic recesses to reduce ohmic contactresistance and/or to form gold-free ohmic contacts. Another example isthe formation of one or more recesses to access the n-doped layer in aGaN light emitting diode or laser. A further example is the formation ofone or more recesses to access the base and/or collector layers in aIII-N bipolar transistor.

FIG. 5 illustrates a non-limiting example of transistors with gaterecesses produced according to at least some of the techniques describedherein. In this exemplary embodiment, upper barrier layer 10 may beformed of GaN, lower barrier layer 12 may be formed of AlN, and bandoffset layer 32 may be formed of Al_(0.15)Ga_(0.85)N. The GaN upperbarrier layer can be selectively etched over the AlN lower barrier layerby fluorine-based dry etching. The AlN lower barrier layer can beselectively etched over the GaN upper barrier layer and theAl_(0.15)Ga_(0.85)N band offset layer by a wet etching process with abase such as potassium hydroxide (KOH) and/or tetramethylammoniumhydroxide (TMAH), or by a digital etching process. Digital etchingprocesses are understood by those of ordinary skill in the art and willnot be detailed herein. However, these are only examples, and anysuitable etchants may be used.

FIG. 5 shows a structure 500 of the exemplary transistor, according tosome embodiments of the present invention. Exemplary devices have beenfabricated having the structure shown in FIG. 5. The structure was grownon a 4-inch silicon substrate by metal-organic chemical vapordeposition. The structure includes a 22-nm GaN: Si cap layer with3−6×10¹⁸ cm⁻³ Si doping, a 1.5-nm barrier AlN layer, a 3-nmAl_(0.15)Ga_(0.85)N band offset layer, a 1.2-μm i-GaN channel layer, anda 2.8-μm buffer layer on p-type Si(111) substrate. Hall measurementshows a sheet resistance of 579±1 Ω/sq and two-dimensional-electron-gas(2 DEG) mobility of 1529±18 cm²·V⁻¹·s⁻¹ with a sheet charge density of7.1±0.1×10¹² cm⁻². The device fabrication started with mesa isolationand Ti/Al/Ni/Au ohmic contact formation which was annealed at 870° C.for 30 s. To fabricate the recessed-gate transistors, the n-GaN cap inthe recessed-gate region was selectively etched over the AlN layer byfluorine-based electron-cyclotron-resonance reactive ion etching(ECR-RIE). Due to the non-volatility of aluminum fluoride (AlF₃), veryhigh etch selectivity of GaN over AlN is achieved for the gas flow ratesof 5 sccm BCl₃/35 sccm SF₆ at 35 mtorr, 100 W ECR power and 100 V DCbias. A 350 second etch with 70 second over-etching was used to achieveuniform and complete removal of the n-GaN layer. The surface of the AlNlayer was then oxidized by low-energy oxygen plasma and wet etched by a1-min dip in tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) at room temperature toremove the dry etching damage. The presence of fluorine from thedry-etch step was significantly reduced after the TMAH wet etch. AfterUV ozone and HCl surface cleaning, a 10-nm Al₂O₃ gate dielectric wasthen deposited by atomic layer deposition at 250° C. and annealed at500° C. for 1 min in forming gas. A Ni/Au gate electrode was depositedcovering the recessed-gate region with a 2.5-μm overhang length, asshown in FIG. 5B. The sample was then annealed in forming gas at 400° C.for 5 min to reduce the positive fixed charge in Al₂O₃. The resultingrecessed-gate transistors have recessed-gate lengths L_(rec-g) varyingfrom 3 to 20 μm.

The DC (direct current) characteristics of the recessed-gate GaN MISFET500 may be studied. Device threshold voltage V_(T) may be defined asV_(T)=V_(gsi)−0.5V_(ds), where V_(gsi) is the interception voltage froma linear extrapolation of an I_(d)-V_(gs) curve, not shown here. A smalldrain voltage (V_(ds)=0.1 V) may be applied to place the device in alinear operation region. Averaging over 13 devices, the recessed-gateGaN MISFETs have a uniform V_(T) of 0.30±0.04 V. The averagesubthreshold slope is 62±1 mV/decade. A bidirectional gate voltage sweepin the transfer characteristics shows less than 10 mV hysteresis in thethreshold voltage. The recessed-gate transistor has a similaron-resistance (R_(on)=10 Ω·mm) as a planar gate transistor with the samesource-to-drain distance (Lsd=11 μm). The relatively low maximum draincurrent of both recessed-gate and planar gate transistors is due to thelarge gate length and gate-to-source distance, relatively low 2DEGdensity (7.1×10¹² cm−2), and high contact resistance (1.2 Ω·mm) of thenon-optimized ohmic contact.

FIG. 6A shows another multi-layer epitaxy structure 600 furtherextending the “dual layer” barrier structure 40 shown in FIG. 4. Bothsemiconductor structure 40 and semiconductor structure 600 may be usedfor fabricating multiple types of transistors with different thresholdvoltages (V_(T)). The threshold voltage of a transistor is a gatevoltage past which the transistor is turned from an on-state to anoff-state, or vice versa. Semiconductor structure 600 may include asubstrate layer 602, a buffer layer 604, a channel layer 606, aband-offset layer 630 and a cap layer 608. Each of substrate layer 602,buffer layer 604, channel layer 606, and band-offset layer 630 may beformed using materials and processes similar for substrate layer 2,buffer layer 4, channel layer 6, and band-offset layer 32 respectively,according to descriptions of embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A-1D, 2A-3D,3A-3D, and 4. Cap layer 608 may be formed using materials and processessimilar for barrier layer 8 or barrier layer 28, according todescriptions of embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A-1D, 2A-3D, 3A-3D, and 4.

FIG. 6B shows another multi-layer epitaxy structure 650, with anadditional optional spacer layer 632 disposed on band-offset layer 630.

Instead of pairs of upper and lower barrier layers, epitaxy structure600 includes a cap layer 608 comprising a plurality of n selectivelyetchable sublayers, such as sublayer 611 with thickness t₁, sublayer 612with thickness t₂, sublayer 618 with thickness t_(n-1), and sublayer 619with thickness t_(n), where n may be any even or odd integer greaterthan or equal to two, according to various embodiments of the presentinvention. For example, a multi-layer semiconductor structure 600 with acap layer 608 having n=4 sublayers and an optional carrier donor layeris the illustrative semiconductor structure 40 shown in FIG. 4.Thickness t₁, t₂, . . . , t_(n) may be between 2 angstroms and 500nanometers, and may or may not be the same in various embodiments of thepresent invention. For example, t_(n) may be greater than or equal tothe total thickness of all other sublayers. In another example, allodd-numbered or odd sublayers may be grown to a first thickness, whileall even-numbered or even sublayers may be grown to a second thickness.Optional spacer layer 632 shown in FIG. 6B may have a thickness lessthan or equal to 20 nm. In various embodiments, thickness of a layer orsublayer may refer to an average, maximum, or medium vertical distancemeasured between points on an upper interface and a lower interface ofthe layer or sublayer.

In some embodiments, each i-th sublayer (1≦i<n) is selectively etchablewith respect to the (i+1)-th sublayer below using some etchingtechnique, thus the (i+1)-th sublayer below may serve as an etch stopfor the i-th sublayer under the given etching technique. The n-thsublayer may further be selectively etchable with respect to band-offsetlayer 630, spacer layer 632, or any layer disposed directly below and/orin contact with the n-th sublayer. Spacer layer 632 may or may not beselectively etchable over band offset layer 630. In some embodiments,each sublayer is selectively etchable with respect to both the sublayerabove and the sublayer below using some etching technique, such as dryetching, wet etching, or a combination of dry etching and wet etching.For example, selectively etchable sublayers may be classified into twotypes. All odd sublayers counting from the first sublayer 611 may beformed of a material that is selectively etchable with respect to evensublayers by a first etching technique, such as dry etching, while alleven sublayers counting from the second sublayer 612 may be formed of amaterial that is selectively etchable with respect to odd sublayers by asecond etching technique, such as wet etching, or vice versa. The n-thsublayer may further be selectively etchable with respect to band-offsetlayer 630, spacer layer 632, or any layer disposed directly below and/orin contact with the n-th sublayer. Spacer layer 632 may or may not beselectively etchable over sublayer 619 and/or band offset layer 630.Band offset layer 630 may or may not be selectively etchable oversublayer 619 and/or band spacer layer 632. Each of the odd sublayers mayhave the same structure, composition, and/or thickness. Alternatively,each of the odd sublayers may have a different structure, composition,and/or thickness. Similarly, each of the even sublayers may have thesame structure, composition, and/or thickness, or a different structure,composition, and/or thickness. In yet some other embodiments, eachsublayer may be selectively etchable with respect to a selected subsetof all other sublayers, using one or more etching techniques. Forexample, in some embodiments, selectively etchable sublayers may beclassified into three types, where each type is repeated every threesublayers, and where each type is selectively etchable over the othertwo types using one or more etching techniques.

More specifically, as discussed with respect to FIG. 1A, selectiveetchability of sublayers within cap layer 608 may be achieved byalternating sublayer material between two or more types of compositions.In some embodiments, all odd sublayers counting from the first sublayer611 may include or comprise a semiconductor material that is selectivelyetchable in a dry etching process, such as GaN, or another nitridesemiconductor material B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N, in which w, x, y and zeach has a suitable value between zero and one inclusive (0≦w, x, y,z≦1), and the composition is such that the nitride semiconductormaterial is selectively etchable using a dry etching process. In oneexample, odd sublayers may be formed of a semiconductor materialB_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N where x is less than 0.25. In differentembodiments, the values of w, x, y, and z may or may not add to 1. Insome embodiments, odd sublayers may be formed of a semiconductormaterial Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N in which x, y, and z each has a suitablevalue between zero and one inclusive (0≦x, y, z≦1), and where the valuesof x, y, and z may or may not add to 1. Similarly, all even sublayerscounting from the second sublayer 612 may include or comprise asemiconductor material that is selectively etchable in a wet etchingprocess, such as AlN, or another nitride semiconductor materialB_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N, in which w, x, y and z each has a suitablevalue between zero and one inclusive (0≦w, x, y, z≦1), and thecomposition is such that the nitride semiconductor material isselectively etchable using a wet etching process. The values of w, x, y,and z may or may not add to 1. In one example, even sublayers may beformed of a semiconductor material B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N where x isgreater than 0.5. In some embodiments, even sublayers may be formed of asemiconductor material Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z) N in which x, y, and z eachhas a suitable value between zero and one inclusive (0≦x, y, z≦1), andwhere the values of x, y, and z may or may not add to 1. In thoseembodiments, at least one of the selectively etchable sublayers may havea non-zero Ga content (0<z≦1) that makes the epitaxy growth processeasier. When consecutive, adjacent or continuous sublayers of cap layer608 have their material compositions alternate between GaN and AlN,fluorine-based chemicals may be used to dry etch GaN without etchingAlN, while tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) may be used to wet etchAlN without etching GaN. In some embodiments, odd layers may include orcomprise a semiconductor material that is selectively etchable in a wetetching process, such as AlN, while even layers may include or comprisea semiconductor material that is selectively etchable in a dry etchingprocess, such as GaN.

The reference herein to B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N or a“B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N material” refers to a semiconductor materialhaving nitride and one or more of boron, aluminum, indium and gallium.An Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N material is a B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N materialwhere w=0. Examples of B_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N materials include, butare not limited to, GaN, AlN, AlGaN, AlInGaN, InGaN, and BAlInGaN,Al_(0.15)Ga_(0.85)N, and Al_(0.65)Ga_(0.35)N, by way of illustration. AB_(w)Al_(x)Al_(y)Ga_(z)N material may include other materials besidesnitride, boron, aluminum, indium and/or gallium. For example, aB_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N material may be doped with a suitable dopantsuch as silicon or germanium.

In some embodiments, selective etchability of sublayers within cap layer608 is achieved by alternating aluminum content or composition ofadjacent or consecutive sublayers between a relatively high value orpercentage and a relatively low value or percentage. In other words,selective etchability may be achieved by alternating between Al-lightand Al-rich sublayers, or adjusting the value of x for materialB_(w)Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N or Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N as described above. Inone example, consecutive or adjacent sublayers of cap layer 608 may haveAl contents alternating between less than 0.5 inclusive and greater than0.5 exclusive, less than 0.5 exclusive and greater than 0.5 inclusive,or less than 0.5 exclusive and greater than 0.5 exclusive. In otherexamples, consecutive or adjacent sublayers of cap layer 608 may have Alcontent alternate between less than 0.25 and greater than 0.5, less than0.35 and greater than 0.5, or less than 0.35 and greater than 0.65,inclusive or exclusive. In some embodiments, at lest one of theplurality of selectively etchable sublayers has an Al content great than0.5. In addition, at least one of the selectively etchable sublayers mayhave a non-zero Ga content (0<z≦1). Moreover, B, Al, In, and Gacompositions in each type of sublayers may not necessarily be the same.For example, when n is odd, first sublayer 611 and n-th sublayer 619 mayhave x=0.1 and x=0.2 respectively, while second layer 612 and (n−1)-thsublayer 618 may have x=0.6 and x=0.7 respectively. Similarly, when n iseven, first sublayer 611 and (n−1)-th sublayer 618 may have x=0.1 andx=0.2 respectively, while second sublayer 612 and n-th sublayer 619 mayhave x=0.6 and x=0.7 respectively.

FIG. 7 illustrates a non-limiting exemplary structure 700 containing twotypes of transistors produced on a common substrate, using epitaxystructure 600 shown in FIG. 6A, or epitaxy structure 650 shown in FIG.6B, with a gate recess produced according to some of the techniquesdescribed herein. More specifically, semiconductor structure 700includes two transistors 710 and 720. Transistor 710 is gate-recessedand includes a gate 712 with gate recess depth 713, through the entirecap layer 608. Transistor 720 has a planer gate. In some embodiments,gate 712 may be recessed through a proper subset of the selectivelyetchable sublayers, so cap layer 608 is not removed entirely for forminggate 712, as shown in FIG. 7.

Similar to the exemplary transistor shown in FIG. 5, when the verticalthickness between the gate recess and channel layer 606 is below acritical thickness, a normally-off E-mode transistor is formed with apositive threshold voltage V_(T1). On the other hand, planar transistor720 is a normally-on D-mode transistor with a negative threshold voltageV_(T2). Generally, transistor threshold voltage depends monotonically ongate-recess depth, or the number of sublayers etched under the gate,where the dependence may be linear or nonlinear. The threshold voltagealso depends on the type of materials and compositions in the sublayersetched. For example, while alternating Al contents enables selectiveetchability of one sublayer over another, a higher average Al contentfor cap layer 608 generally moves the threshold voltage of a transistorfabricated thereon negatively. Hence, given a desired threshold voltage,etching selectivity between different semiconductor materials forindividual sublayers may be taken into account when determining thecorresponding gate recess depth. On the other hand, once sublayers aregrown, etching depths can be accurately controlled in discrete steps toachieve or approximate a desired threshold voltage.

The E/D-mode integration shown in FIG. 7 may offer a large difference inthreshold voltages between the two types of transistors. In someembodiments, the difference in threshold voltages between the two typesof transistors may be as large as 35V. In some embodiments, bothtransistors may be E-mode transistors, with different positive thresholdvoltages, or both transistors may be D-mode transistors, with differentnegative threshold voltages. In some embodiments, V_(T1) and V_(T2) maybe within the range between −10V and +3V, respectively. In someembodiments, a portion of optional spacer layer 632, all of spacer layer632, a portion of band-offset layer 630, and/or all of band-offset layer630 may be removed to further increase gate recess depth 713, to achievea higher threshold voltage V_(T1). In other words, the bottom of thegate recess for transistor 710 may be within or on band-offset layer630, spacer layer 632, or any sublayer of cap layer 608.

To form a recess such as the gate recess for transistor 710, a suitablemasking process may be used to define a region to be etched. A firstetching process may be performed to selectively etch the material offirst selectively etchable layer 611 with respect to the material ofsecond selectively etchable layer 612. The selectivity of the etchprocess used in the first etching step may be greater than one, suchthat first selectively etchable layer 611 is etched at a faster ratethan second selectively etchable layer 612. In some embodiments, theselectivity of the etch process used in the first etching step may begreater than 3:1, such that first selectively etchable layer 611 isetched at a rate greater than three times as high as the rate at whichsecond selectively etchable layer 612 is etched. The first etchingtechnique may include a dry etching technique (e.g., dry plasma etching,or reactive ion etching (RIE)). If first selectively etchable layer 611includes GaN, a fluorine-based etching process may be used. Secondselectively etchable sublayer 612 may serve as an etch stop to stop thedry etching process at its upper surface. The dry etching process maydamage the upper surface of second selectively etchable sublayer 612,creating a damaged region. However, in some embodiments the dry etchingprocess may not produce any significant damage.

Next, a second etching step may be performed using a second etchingtechnique to remove a portion of second selectively etchable sublayer612, through a window formed by the removal of a region of firstselectively etchable sublayer 611 in the first etching step. In someembodiments, the etch process used in the second etching step mayselectively etch second selectively etchable sublayer 612 with respectto a layer overlying second selectively etchable sublayer 612 and whichmay be in contact with second selectively etchable sublayer 612, such asfirst selectively etchable sublayer 611, for example. In someembodiments, the etch process used in the second etching step mayselectively etch second selectively etchable sublayer 612 with respectto a layer below second selectively etchable sublayer 612 which may bein contact with second selectively etchable sublayer 612, such a thirdselectively etchable sublayer below, and/or spacer layer 632, or bandoffset layer 630. The selectivity of the etching of second selectivelyetchable sublayer 612 with respect to first selectively etchablesublayer 611 and/or the third selectively etchable sublayer, spacerlayer 632, or band offset layer 630 may be greater than one, such thatthe rate of etching of second selectively etchable sublayer 612 isgreater than that of first or third selectively etchable sublayers, forexample. In some embodiments, the selectivity may be greater than 3:1,such that second selectively etchable sublayer 612 is etched at a rategreater than three times as high as the first or the third selectivelyetchable sublayers. In some embodiments, the etching technique used inthe second etching step may be a wet etching technique.

Once the gate recess is formed through first selectively etchablesublayer 611 and second selectively etchable sublayer 612, the first andsecond etching techniques, or dry etching and wet etching processes asdiscussed above, may be performed iteratively to remove consecutive oradjacent selectively etchable sublayers, until gate recess depth 713 isachieved. The last etching step to remove a portion of sublayer 619 maybe either dry etching or wet etching. In the exemplary structure 700,gate recess depth 713 is approximately the summation of layerthicknesses t₁, t₂, . . . , and t_(n). Gate dielectric 714 and gate 712may be formed in the resulting gate recess for transistor 710, usingprocesses similar to those for depositing gate dielectric 18 and gate 20shown FIG. 1D. For planar-gate transistor 720, gate dielectric 724 andgate 722 may be formed concurrently with, or separately from, gatedielectric 714 and gate 712 of transistor 710. Source contacts 716 and726, and drain contacts 718 and 728 may be formed before or thereafter.

FIG. 8 illustrates another exemplary structure 800 containing two typesof transistors 810 and 820 produced on the same substrate, using epitaxystructure 600 shown in FIG. 6A or epitaxy structure 650 shown in FIG.6B. Transistors 810 and 820 are gate-recessed to different depths andfabricated according to techniques described herein. In this example,transistor 810 with a deeper gate recess has a more positive thresholdvoltage V_(T) than transistor 820 with a shallower gate recess. As thevalue of transistor threshold voltage V_(T) is monotonically dependenton gate recess depths, varying the number of sublayers etched orrecessed below the gate allows direct and accurate control of achievablethreshold voltages. Furthermore, as each selectively etchable sublayermay contain a mono layer of III-N atoms, recess depths may be discretelycontrolled at intervals as small as 0.2 nm to 0.5 nm. Gate recesses maystop in or on at any selectively etchable sublayer, spacer layer 632, orband-offset layer 630, or one or more optional carrier donor layers notshown here. In this example, gate recesses of transistors 810 and 820stop on two different sublayers, and these two sublayers may or may nothave the same material compositions. Gate dielectrics 814 and 824, andgate contacts 812 and 822 are deposited over the etched regions.

In various embodiments, ohmic contacts may be made with or withoutrecesses, and either before or after the formation of the gate regionsto accommodate for other process considerations such as thermal budget,ohmic contact performance and process complexity. In the example shownin FIG. 8, ohmic contacts 816 and 818 of transistor 810 are made withohmic recesses into cap layer 608. Both source 816 and drain 818 arerecessed through the entire cap layer, with the same ohmic recess depthto simplify fabrication. Generally, ohmic recesses for a singletransistor may or may not have the same recess depth. Moreover, althoughohmic contacts are rectangular shaped in FIG. 8, they may also bealloyed, in which the contacts have no regular shapes.

To fabricate structure 800 shown in FIG. 8, the bare epi surface ofmulti-layer structure 650 may be first covered with a dielectric layer,such as SiO₂ or SiN. A gate opening for transistor 810 may be defined byusing photolithography, and etched in the deposited dielectric. Afterremoval of photoresist, fluorine-based dry-etch may be performed toremove Al-light sublayers and stop on Al-rich sublayers, while TMAH orother basic solutions may be used to remove Al-rich sublayers and stopon Al-light sublayers. Selective etching may be repeated until a desiredrecess depth is reached for gate 812. Once the first gate recess isformed, the whole structure may be covered with another dielectriclayer, generally the same as the first dielectric used before, andphotolithography can be performed, followed by photoresist removal anditerative selective etching of sublayers until a desired recess depthfor gate 822 is reached. After the two gate recesses are formed, gatedielectrics and gate contact materials such as gate metals may bedeposited to cover the whole structure. Gate electrodes are then definedby photolithography, where gate metals outside gate electrode regionsare etched off. In some embodiments, gate electrodes are formed bydepositing gate electrode materials followed by lifting-off, using atleast one material selected from Ti, Mo, W, Ta, Pt, Ni, poly-Si, TiN,WN, TaN, TiW, and silicide. In some embodiments, gate electrodes fordifferent transistors are made of different materials. Another way ofrecessing for gate 812 and gate 822 is to define both gate openingsconcurrently, to selectively etch in both gate openings until a first,smaller, gate depth is reached, and to further selectively etch in oneof the gate openings until a second, larger, gate depth is reached.

For ohmic contacts, ohmic recesses for contacts 816 and 818 may beformed before gate electric and gate metal deposition. For example,ohmic recesses may be formed together or concurrently with one of thegate recesses, if the recess depths are the same. Furthermore, ohmicmetal deposition, patterning and optional thermal annealing steps may beperformed either before or after gate dielectric and gate metaldeposition, or gate electrodes formation, to allow optimization ofthermal budgets and process complexities. In some embodiments, therecessed structure is subjected to a thermal annealing at a temperaturebelow 1500° C., before gate electrode and ohmic contact deposition orformation. In some embodiments, metal layers are deposited over ohmiccontacts and formed transistors, for interconnecting the ohmic contacts,or as field plates for managing electric field in the transistors.

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary structure 900 containing two recessed-gatetransistors 910 and 920, with doped selectively etchable sublayers,according to some embodiments of the present invention. In this example,a block or set of consecutive, adjacent, or continuous sublayers betweensublayers 611 and 617 (exclusive) are doped. Doping may be performedduring epitaxy growth. After recess etching, doped regions are formedbetween the gate and the source, and between the gate and the drain,outside of the gate and ohmic recesses. In various embodiments of thepresent invention, any subset of the selectively etchable sublayers,continuous or discontinuous, may be doped to supply carriers to thechannel layer. Depending on gate recess depths, un-etched sublayersbelow one or both recessed gates may be doped as well. Each doped regionmay be polarization doped or may include dopants such as n-type dopantsor p-type dopants. Each doped selectively etchable sublayer or eachdoped region may have any suitable doping concentration anddistribution. For example, dopants may be provided at the lower surfaceof a sublayer, the upper surface of a sublayer, or throughout asublayer. The doping profile can be uniform or non-uniform. In someembodiments, a delta-doping profile may be used, through an individualsublayer, or a block of consecutive sublayers. To dope one or moresublayers, any suitable doping technique may be used, such asimplantation or diffusion. In one example, a selected set of selectivelyetchable sublayer may be doped during the formation or growth of caplayer 608. In some embodiments, the doping type may be of the same typeas that of the carriers in the channel region. For example, the dopingtype in doped regions shown in FIG. 9 may be n-type for an n-channeltransistor, and p-type for a p-channel transistor. In some embodiments,a doped region may be highly doped. In some embodiments, additionalcarrier donor layers such as layer 22 as shown in FIG. 2A may be furtherdeposited on top of or below cap layer 608. In some embodiments, apassivation layer may be deposited on top of cap layer 608, wherein thepassivation material may be silicon nitride, silicon oxide, aluminumoxide, aluminum nitride, polyimide, benzocyclobutene, siliconoxynitride, aluminum oxynitride, Teflon, and phosphosilicate glass.

FIG. 10 shows yet another exemplary structure 1000 containing tworecessed-gate transistors both with ohmic recesses, according to someembodiments of the present invention. In this particular example, ohmiccontacts 1016 and 1018 of transistor 1010 are disposed over and cover afirst pair of ohmic recesses of one depth, while ohmic contacts 1026 and1028 of transistor 1020 are disposed over and cover a second pair ofohmic recesses of the same depth. Recessed gates 1012 and 1022 aredisposed over gate dielectrics 1014 and 1024, which are in turn disposedover and cover gate recesses with different depths. In variousembodiments, each ohmic region may be recessed to reach channel layer606, band-offset layer 630, spacer layer 632, or a selectively etchablesublayer. Ohmic recesses for contacts 1016, 1018, 1026, and 1028 may beformed concurrently, since they are of the same depth. Transistors 1010and 1020 may both be E-mode, or one may be E-mode while the other may beD-mode.

One advantage of using structures such as 900 in FIGS. 9 and 1000 inFIG. 10, with gate recesses and ohmic recesses, over a design such asstructure 700 in FIG. 7, which includes a planar transistor without gaterecess or ohmic recesses, is to maximize sheet electron density inaccess regions between gate and S/D, and to minimize sheet resistance inthese regions, by retaining the maximum epi layer thickness in theseaccess regions. In addition, trapping effect in these access regions canbe mitigated, by keeping the top surfaces of these regions far away fromthe channel.

Although only two types of transistors are discussed in the illustrativeexamples shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10, in other embodiments,multi-layer structure 600 or 650 may be configured to include more thantwo types of transistors, each with a different threshold voltage. Atleast three selectively etchable sublayers may be necessary to achievedifferent threshold voltages, accordingly.

While FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10 provide illustrative examples of semiconductorstructures for integrating two types of transistors with differentthreshold voltages on a common substrate, in some embodiments, otherdevices may be further integrated on the same substrate. Exemplarydevices include diodes, capacitors, memories, memristors, opticalmodulators, waveguides, light emitting diodes, optocouplers, detectors,transformers, resistors, and inductors. In some embodiments, thesemiconductor structures as described herein as used for applicationsincluding analog circuits, mixed-signal circuits, gate drive circuits,and digital control circuits.

FIG. 11 shows an exemplary process flow for forming a recess on asemiconductors structure, according to fabrication techniques asdescribed herein. A key feature of the recess etching process asdiscussed is progressive removal of selectively etchable sublayers untila desired recess depth is reached. For example, to form a recess on asemiconductor structure such as 600 shown in FIG. 6A, photolithographymay be first performed to define a recess opening. Next, two or moreetching techniques may be iteratively applied to remove odd-numbered andeven-numbered sublayers, until a desired recess depth is reached. Anyblock of consecutive, adjacent, or continuous sublayers may be removedin this manner.

As a more specific example, FIG. 11 shows a process flow for forming arecess on a semiconductor structure such as 600, and where odd-numberedsublayers are Al-light while even-numbered sublayers are Al-rich. Forinstance, odd-numbered or odd sublayers may be formed of a firstsemiconductor material Al_(x1)In_(y1)Ga_(z1)N in which x₁, y₁, and z₁each has a suitable value between zero and one inclusive (0≦x₁, y₁, andz₁≦1), and where x₁≦0.35; even-numbered or even sublayers may be formedof a second semiconductor material Al_(x2)In_(y2)Ga_(z2)N in which x₂,y₂, and z₂ each has a suitable value between zero and one inclusive(0≦x₂, y_(z), and z₂≦1), and where x₂>0.5. In addition, assume that thedesired recess depths cover an even total number of selectively etchablesublayers in this example. Upon initialization 1110, photolithography isfirst performed at step 1120. In particular, the epitaxy surface ofstructure 600 is first covered with a dielectric layer, and a recessopening is defined. The recess opening is etched in the dielectric andthe photoresist is subsequently removed. Next, two etching techniquessuch as dry etching and wet etching may be iteratively applied throughsteps 1140 and 1150 to remove odd and even sublayers, until a desiredrecess depth is reached at step 1160. At step 1140, dry etching isapplied to remove an Al-light sublayer and to stop on an Al-richsublayer; at step 1150, wet etching is applied to remove an Al-richsublayer and to stop on an Al-light sublayer. Once the desired recessdepth is reached, the overall process stops at step 1190. If the desiredrecess depths cover an odd total number of selectively etchablesublayers, process flow 1100 may be modified accordingly so the totalnumber of selectively etching steps is also odd.

FIG. 12 shows an exemplary process flow for forming a structurecontaining two types of recessed-gate transistors according tofabrication techniques as described herein. In this example, two gaterecesses are formed individually at steps 1220 and 1230, through therecess formation process shown in FIG. 11. Gate dielectrics and gatecontacts may then be deposited at step 1240, and 1250. A protectivelayer may be deposited for the gate stacks at step 1260, before a pairof ohmic recesses is formed at step 1270. Although not shown here, asecond pair of ohmic recesses may be further formed, concurrently withthe first pair if both pairs have the same recess depths, or after thefirst pair, if the two pairs have different recess depths. Ohmiccontacts are then deposited at step 1280. The overall process ends atstep 1290.

FIG. 13 shows an illustrative structure 1300 with both D-mode and E-modetransistors, fabricated on a multi-layer semiconductor structure withselectively etchable sublayers, according to some embodiment of thepresent invention. FIG. 13 also shows corresponding transfer curves orI_(D)-V_(GS) characteristics 1350 in logarithmic scale. In structure1300, planar-gate D-mode transistors with ohmic recesses are constructedin the top row, while recessed-gate E-mode transistors with ohmicrecesses such as transistors 810, 910, 1010, and 1020 are constructed inthe bottom row, side-by-side to the D-mode transistors, all on a commonsubstrate. Gate and ohmic recesses are approximately 30 nm in depth, andmay be formed together, concurrently or in parallel, using appropriatephotolithography and progressive etching steps as described with respectto FIGS. 11 and 12. By defining a threshold voltage V_(T) asgate-to-source voltage V_(GS) with drain current I_(D) of 1e-3 mA/mm, athreshold voltage V_(T) of −4.2 V is obtained for the D-modetransistors, and a threshold voltage V_(T) of 0.5 V is obtained for theE-mode transistors. Recall that threshold voltages are gate voltagespast which transistors are turned from an on-state to an off-state, orvice versa.

Illustrative DC (direct current) characteristics of integrated E/D-modetransistors, with or without gate or ohmic recesses as illustrated byFIGS. 7-10 are shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. 14 displays a plot 1400 ofapproximate I_(D)-V_(GS) characteristics for E/D transistors integratedon the same substrate. Drain current I_(D) is expressed in arbitraryunits, while drain-to-source voltages are fixed at 5V and 0.1V for eachtype of transistors. Threshold voltages for the two different types oftransistors are within expected ranges of positive or negative values.Similarly, FIG. 15 shows plots 1500 and 1550 representing I_(D)-V_(DS)characteristics for E/D transistors integrated on the same substrate.Drain current I_(D) is expressed in arbitrary units, while V_(GS) variesfrom −1V to −10V in −1V steps for D-mode transistors, and from 9V to 0Vin −1V steps for E-mode transistors.

Additional Aspects

Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in theclaims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote anypriority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or thetemporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are usedmerely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain namefrom another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinalterm) to distinguish the claim elements.

Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” andvariations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listedthereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Forexample, an apparatus, structure, device, layer, or region recited as“including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” aparticular material is meant to encompass at least the material listedand any other elements or materials that may be present. The partiallyopen-ended phrase “consisting essentially of” is meant to encompassessentially the material listed and does not preclude the presence ofrelatively small quantities of other materials, including the presenceof dopants.

Various aspects of the apparatus and techniques described herein may beused alone, in combination, or in a variety of arrangements notspecifically discussed in the embodiments described in the foregoingdescription and is therefore not limited in its application to thedetails and arrangement of components set forth in the foregoingdescription or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspectsdescribed in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspectsdescribed in other embodiments. In other words, although the presentinvention has been described with reference to specific exemplaryembodiments, it will be evident that the various modification andchanges can be made to these embodiments without departing from thebroader spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the specification anddrawings are to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than in arestrictive sense. It will also be apparent to the skilled artisan thatthe embodiments described above are specific examples of a singlebroader invention which may have greater scope than any of the singulardescriptions taught. There may be many alterations made in thedescriptions without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for integrating III-Nitride (III-N)transistors with different threshold voltages, comprising: patterning aIII-N semiconductor structure to expose a gate region of a firsttransistor with a first threshold voltage VT1, wherein the III-Nsemiconductor structure comprises a common substrate, a buffer layerdisposed on the common substrate, the buffer layer comprising a firstIII-N material, a channel layer disposed on the buffer layer, thechannel layer comprising a second III-N material, a band-offset layerdisposed on the channel layer, the band-offset layer comprising a thirdIII-N material, and a cap layer comprising a plurality of selectivelyetchable sublayers, wherein each sublayer is selectively etchable withrespect to a sublayer immediately below, and wherein each sublayercomprises a III-N material Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N (0≦X, Y, Z≦1), wherein atleast one of the plurality of selectively etchable sublayers has anon-zero Ga content (0<Z≦1); selectively recessing the gate region ofthe first transistor by removing a first number of adjacent sublayers ofthe cap layer; patterning the III-N semiconductor structure to expose agate region of a second transistor with a second threshold voltageV_(T2); selectively recessing the gate region of the second transistorby removing a second number of adjacent sublayers of the cap layer,wherein the second number of adjacent sublayers is different from thefirst number of adjacent sublayers; forming gate electrodes for both thefirst and the second transistors; and forming ohmic contacts for boththe first and the second transistors.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: disposing gate dielectrics over the gate region of the firsttransistor and the gate region of the second transistor.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein the first transistor is enhancement-mode, with thefirst threshold voltage V_(T1)>0, and wherein the second transistor isdepletion-mode, with the second threshold voltage V_(T2)<0.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein adjacent sublayers of the cap layer have Alcontents alternating between less than 50% (0≦x<0.5) and greater than50% (0.5<x≦1).
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: forming afirst pair of ohmic recesses, wherein the first pair of ohmic contactsare disposed over and cover the first pair of ohmic recesses, andwherein bottoms of the first pair of ohmic recesses are on a layerselected from the group consisting the channel layer, the band-offsetlayer, and a sublayer of the cap layer.
 6. A multi-layer semiconductorstructure for integrating III-Nitride (III-N) transistors with differentthreshold voltages, comprising: a common substrate; a buffer layerdisposed on the common substrate, the buffer layer comprising a firstIII-N material; a channel layer disposed on the buffer layer, thechannel layer comprising a second III-N material; a band-offset layerdisposed on the channel layer, the band-offset layer comprising a thirdIII-N material; a cap layer comprising a plurality of selectivelyetchable sublayers, wherein each sublayer is selectively etchable withrespect to a sublayer immediately below, wherein each sublayer comprisesa III-N material Al_(x)In_(y)Ga_(z)N (0≦X, Y, Z≦1), and wherein at leastone of the plurality of selectively etchable sublayers has a non-zero Gacontent (0<Z≦1); a first transistor with a first threshold voltage VT1,comprising a first gate region and a first pair of ohmic contactsdisposed outside the first gate region, wherein the first gate regioncomprises a first gate recess disposed in a first number of adjacentsublayers of the cap layer; and a second transistor with a secondthreshold voltage VT2, comprising a second gate region and a second pairof ohmic contacts disposed outside the second gate region, wherein thesecond gate region comprises a second gate recess disposed in a secondnumber of adjacent sublayers of the cap layer, and wherein the secondnumber of sublayers is different from the first number of sublayers. 7.The multi-layer semiconductor structure of claim 6, wherein the firstgate region further comprises a first gate dielectric disposed over thefirst gate recess.
 8. The multi-layer semiconductor structure of claim6, wherein the first gate region further comprises a first gatedielectric disposed over the first gate recess, and wherein the secondgate region further comprises a second gate dielectric disposed over thesecond gate recess.
 9. The multi-layer semiconductor structure of claim6, further comprising: a first pair of ohmic recesses, wherein the firstpair of ohmic contacts are disposed over and cover the first pair ofohmic recesses, and wherein bottoms of the first pair of ohmic recessesare on a layer selected from the group consisting the channel layer, theband-offset layer, and a sublayer of the cap layer; and a second pair ofohmic recesses, wherein the second pair of ohmic contacts are disposedover and cover the second pair of ohmic recesses, and wherein bottoms ofthe second pair of ohmic recesses are on a layer selected from the groupconsisting the channel layer, the band-offset layer, and a sublayer ofthe cap layer.
 10. The multi-layer semiconductor structure of claim 6,wherein the first transistor is enhancement-mode, with the firstthreshold voltage V_(T1)>0, and wherein the second transistor isdepletion-mode, with the second threshold voltage V_(T2)<0.
 11. Themulti-layer semiconductor structure of claim 6, wherein at least one ofthe plurality of selectively etchable sublayers has an Al contentgreater than 50% (0.5<x≦1).
 12. The multi-layer semiconductor structureof claim 6, wherein adjacent sublayers of the cap layer have Al contentsalternating between less than 50% (0≦x<0.5) and greater than 50%(0.5<x≦1).
 13. The multi-layer semiconductor structure of claim 6,wherein materials for adjacent sublayers of the cap layer alternatebetween GaN and AlN.
 14. The multi-layer semiconductor structure ofclaim 6, further comprising: a first pair of ohmic recesses, wherein thefirst pair of ohmic contacts are disposed over and cover the first pairof ohmic recesses, and wherein the bottoms of the first pair of ohmicrecesses are on a layer selected from the group consisting the channellayer, the band-offset layer, and a sublayer of the cap layer.
 15. Themulti-layer semiconductor structure of claim 6, wherein a subset of theplurality of the selectively etchable sublayers of the cap layer isdoped.
 16. The multi-layer semiconductor structure of claim 6, whereinthe first, the second, and the third III-N materials are selected fromthe group consisting of GaN, AlN, AlGaN, InAlN, and AlInGaN.
 17. Themulti-layer semiconductor structure of claim 6, further comprising aspacer layer disposed on the band-offset layer, wherein the spacer layercomprises a fourth III-N material, and wherein a thickness of the spacerlayer is less than or equal to 20 nm.
 18. The multi-layer semiconductorstructure of claim 17, wherein a subset of the plurality of selectivelyetchable sublayers of the cap layer is doped, and wherein the spacerlayer is partially doped.